Canisius joins list chasing UConn's Moore

WASHINGTON - You can add Canisius College to the list of Division I programs interested in hiring UConn associate head coach Tom Moore.

After being linked to vacancies at Delaware, Fairfield and Hartford, Moore confirmed Thursday he's one of several candidates to replace
Mike MacDonald
, a Ridgefield High graduate who was fired earlier this month.

Some of the other names being mentioned for the Canisius job are Hofstra assistant
Tom Perrotta
, Providence assistant
Steve DeMeo
and Iona assistant Nick Macarchuk Jr.

Although Moore interviewed at Delaware last Saturday night, school officials decided to go with Louisville associate head coach
Kevin Willard
instead.

But not for long.

After offering the job to Willard on Monday, Delaware officials were smacked in the face with a public relations nightmare when it was learned Willard was previously arrested for driving under the influence in January 2004.

School officials withdrew the job offer Tuesday and got back on the telephone. Although Moore spoke with Delaware on Wednesday and again Thursday, he seemed less than smitten with being Plan B.

"I really can't comment on what happened with Kevin this week," Moore said. "It's a great school in an up-and-coming league, a real tough, competitive league. I'm flattered that they're interested in me and consider me a candidate."

Don't be surprised if Moore's name surfaces for other vacancies in the coming weeks.

"There could be more things, too. There's not an exact science to this whole process," Moore said. "You want to get the right job. You don't want to be left hanging on too long here. But you don't want to get off the train one stop too early rather than one stop too late.

"You want it to be the right situation. You think about it a lot. I talk to (my wife) a lot. You trust your judgment and your instincts on it," Moore continued. "I think when the right one comes, the interest will be mutually reciprocated."

Gay, a 6-foot-9 forward, played for Archbishop Spalding in Severn, Md. Thomas, a 6-7 forward, went to Mount St. Joseph in Baltimore.

If fate waves its wand tonight, the two will meet again Sunday in the Elite Eight at the

Verizon Center
. But first, UConn has to beat Washington and George Mason has to beat Wichita State.

"We were big rivals in high school. He's cool off the court, but on the court, I hate him," Gay said with a laugh. "I don't think we ever beat his team in high school."

Would Gay like another crack at Thomas?

"Definitely," Gay grinned. "I would love it."

Although Thomas stopped short of calling for a rematch, he loved soaking up the sentiment in the George Mason locker room Thursday.

"We're trying to have as much fun as we possibly can," Thomas said, while several George Mason players recorded history with their digital cameras and camcorders. "The other day after practice, we played Wiffle Ball on the court. It was fun. If you hit it in the seats, it was a home run."

No Cinderella here: Don't tell George Mason coach
Jim Larranaga
the Patriots are the Cinderella of this year's
NCAA
tournament.

Despite upset victories over No. 6 seed Michigan State and No. 3 seed North Carolina, Larranaga prefers to think of his team as princes.

"If we're going to be Cinderella, you've got to remember, Cinderella was a beautiful young lady that eventually turned into a princess," Larranaga said. "I don't think our guys want to be referred to as princesses.

"But the idea where you kiss the frog and it turns into the prince, that's us. Before the tournament began, nobody ever heard of George Mason."

This and that: Washington signed two incoming recruits -
Spencer Hawes
and
Quincy Pondexter
- that UConn avidly courted last year. Hawes, a 6-11 center from Seattle, could've been UConn's big man of the future. Pondexter, a 6-7 forward from Fresno, Calif., took an official visit to Storrs before choosing Washington....Although the
NBA
's
Washington Wizards
are on the road, UConn was greeted by a familiar face when it arrived at the Verizon Center on Thursday. A giant Wizards banner on the side of the arena features ex-Husky wing
Caron Butler
, along with
Antawn Jamison
and
Gilbert Arenas
....UConn is 9-1 in the Verizon Center, formerly the
MCI Center
. The only loss came to Maryland, 77-65, in the 2001BB&T Classic.